Being a Social Teacher

Caring, sensitive adults are ideal social teachers. Unlike preschool peers, parents and teachers draw on extensive emotional resources when they interact with children.

Being a social teacher means we:
* Help describe emotions verbally
* Understand the causes and effects of emotions and help regulate them
* See things from a child’s perspective
*  Assist in interpreting the emotions of others
* Match social interactions to a child’s developmental level
* Regulate their own emotions and understand teachable opportunities
* Appreciate the long-term consequences of social acts

No wonder the core preschool social skills such as empathy, emotional self-control, and communication are best nurtured by parents and families. As teachers we support the development of each child by making sure we connect with parents. For more ways to foster preschool social skills visit us at, ALL TOGETHER WE'RE BETTER.

Changing a Child's Life

Children are one third of our population and all of our future. 
~Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981

Every so often we get to see what the majority of children go though in their own lives. Working in various environments and socioeconomic settings has really opened our eyes to the importance of paying attention to our families as well as young children. Getting the right support and skills needed for a family as well as a child is a forefront for success skills for later in life.

The Ounce of Prevention

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see."

~Neil Postman, The Disappearance of Childhood (introduction), 1982

 Senator Obama spoke in at the Ounce of Prevention Fund's Spring Luncheon. He acknowledged programs such as these among others for for their innovation and proving at risk children can achieve success. Years later we are seeing that people are truly listening and what we knew to be possible now is coming with a plan.

Early Learning Research on Executive Function

 "If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all." 

~Pearl S. Buck

 Nobel Prize winner Dr. James Heckman spoke at Washington State University about recent early learning research. He is passionate about proving the importance of non-cognitive skills such as soft skills. Trying to track and measure executive functions as well as cognitive functions have been quite a task. Why? Improvements in these in these social-emotional skills show kids do better academically.
In Early Childhood Education, this is something we are all passionate about!

Building Skills in Early Childhood Education

" It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." 

~Frederick Douglass

Fostering a positive environment in the child's home proves to be a great foundation for success.
Nobel laureate, James Heckman, discusses how skills build upon skills, which makes it easier to acquire skills for success in future years.  Improving the workforce of next century starts with us building these soft skills up in our children. Starting at the earliest ages birth to age five has been the main course of study.

Soft Skills Show Hard Effects

 Soft skills and Executive Functioning are some terms that have been thrown around a bit in early childhood research. Really it is about getting kids to socialize and develop in ways where they can be their absolute best. I have always tried to stay on board with what is going on with the latest research and development regarding our children. There is more of an emphasis on this now because of the times we are living in.
Being a well rounded in my own education to me means I how what is going on outside the bubble of my own classroom. As are curriculum it means staying cutting edge and working on getting out kids and families in grounded in the skills they will need for success in life.

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Soft Skills in Early Childhood Education

 Soft Skills such as perseverance, attention, motivation, and self-confidence contribute greatly to "success in society at large. Professor James Heckman has confirmed skills such as these are not only predictive in academic success scores but for successful adults as well. Needful life skills such as these have a foundation in quality early childhood programs and healthy families.
"Fixing people" before potholes and other American concerns. We're listening....

Help for Kids With Autism

I learned to work so closely with families through wonderful kids that happen to have this condition. Sometimes communication is not so easy, words and feelings become dammed up and shaken up like a carbonated drink.
I believe we have all experienced this in our lives but unless we can tap into that empathy and compassion it will be difficult to truly relate to how an child with autism feels.
I appreciate the strength and courage of the families and teachers that have worked together to support one another. Let's hope that financial help for families through Health Care laws can start a change for many families.

Investing in People

 Quality early childhood programs not only help develop the next generation but know that the family is a vital part of a child's education. It's nice to know there we are working toward a better brighter future for our families by investing in them. People that understand there are no 'small things', just small things done with great love that will make a difference. Small really is big after all.....